Red Dyed Rose
by DefendTheUndefended
Summary: Law wakes up to the impossible, however due to his experiences with witnessing the impossible on the Grand Line he has learned to adapt- if numbly and bruised and battered.He is misplaced in time and acts out the one thing he wished he could change in his past for so long. Saving the man who saved him.With no clue how to fix his time displacement he once again adapts.Time Travel
1. Chapter 1

Law woke with a harsh gasp his body convulsing as he turned himself to the side and hacked up the seawater that had slithered down his throat and into his lungs only moments before.

He choked for a moment as he tried to catch his breath before letting himself lay back down for a moment to try and regain some of his senses. Shivering from the bitter cold he felt in the air as he lay on the ground motionless.

He found himself looking up at the gray sky, clouds curling in an eerily familiar way he couldn't place.

After a moment he swallowed hard, grimacing at the soreness in his throat from the seawater, and pushed himself to his knees.

He glanced around trying to find some sense of where he was - wait. What … what had happened?

How did he get here? Last he remembered he was with his crew setting sail after meeting up with the Strawhats. They were sailing under the sea and.. and then what.. he winced as his head exploded in pain and his ears rang loud enough to block out all other sounds around him.

He stayed frozen to the spot as the pain slowly faded, only once it had lessened to a low hum in the back of his head did he open his eyes.

He was greeted with cold white snow. A winter island?

He must be far from where he last remembered. Which is not a good thing. He must have hit his head somewhere in between drowning and washing up on the shore.

He went to push himself up, intending to search along the shore for the possibility of other crew mates, only for his legs to collapse under him as he shakily caught himself on his hands.

He looked down at his body in alarm, the state he was in unfamiliar and disorienting. He had his winter coat draped over him, but it had large tears covering it, making it useless against the bitter chill in the air. His pants and shirt were equally as damaged and each tear in fabric was accented by dark crimson blood from gashes in his body.

The cuts were fresh maybe only a few hours old. He looked at them in confusion before sighing. Leaning back and summoning a room, luckily dry enough to use his devil fruit, it was a little sluggish but the translucent blue dome obediently appeared and covered the expanse of his body.

He closed his eyes as he took his time in delicately healing the damaged flesh cell by cell.

It took almost an hour for him to seal the wounds enough that he wouldn't die of blood loss. By that time his teeth started to chatter and his hands started to tremble.

He sat back heavily on his heels for a long moment before dispersing the room, pushing himself to his feet.

He sighed and wrapped his arms around his body for some kind of warmth as he started looking around the shore for any sign of his crew mates... or any kind of wreckage or rubble…

It didn't take long to realize that he and his sword, were the only things of his crew and ship to wash up on the shore. Even his hat was gone.

He didn't know whether to be relieved or worried.

With no sign of his crew, the cold air biting at his skin, and soreness humming in his body he started walking, hoping to find a town or small village. Maybe he'd be able to find some source of warmth there and if he was lucky enough a den den mushi to try and call his crewmates.

—————

It was the sound that had eventually made him look up. He knew that sound but he stubbornly wanted to deny what it was. It was impossible the one that caused such a sound was locked away forever. At least that's what should have been.

But.. he was wrong apparently- and that was not something he was happy about.

He shook with emotion at the blasted sight of the birdcage strings of Doflamingo DonQuixote's devil fruit shot into the sky, sounding like a thousand whips as they spread over the island.

His mind filled with a thousand thoughts and his body trembled with rage, disbelief, and despair as he stared up at those white strings against a gray sky.

He felts his knees collapse from under him and connect with the coldness of the snow below him as it soaked into his shredded pants and bare skin.

He wanted to scream, he could feel the sound building in his throat trying to burst free.

Just before it could do so he bent forward so suddenly his head slammed into the snow, the muffled crunching was distant in his ears, sounding as if it were miles away.

He forced himself to breathe evenly-to calm himself, the cold helping to pull him out of his memories and own head.

Ok. Think of this logically; a clearer head is required for this situation.

Doffy should be locked up. Everything he and Strawhat Luffy had sacrificed to defeat the man had paid off and they had won. So why..

Did they kill Doffy? Is that how? The devil fruit was reborn and being used to terrorize people like it was used by its last master? But if that was so… would Law have just happened to have ended up on the same island the user was on?

He had a million questions and only one thing he knew for sure. Something was up, and it didn't look good.

Law closed his eyes as he finally felt himself calm completely.

If he was going to be facing this new user.. it would be best to prepare for it. If they knew enough to create the birdcage they were probably already formidable with the fruit. Meaning the fight wasn't going to be pretty.

Taking one more deep breath Law expanded his observation Haki to travel over the expanse of the island. If he was going to prepare he needed to know how much time he had, which was dependent upon how far away the new user was.

His eyes snapped open in confusion and alarm as his haki registered the closest people who were on the island.

No. No It.. It should have been impossible! How..?!

Disregarding the how he pushed himself to his feet and took off running in the direction he had felt the other life forms. Desperate and pleading for this to not be another one of his dreaded dreams. He needed this to be real. He needed those signatures to not be figments of his imagination.

He needed the life force of Doflamingo, Vergo, and the rest of that crew to be real.

And he especially needed the signature of himself and another grown and dying man almost on top of the little version of himself to be real.

Please let them be real.

And please let him make it in time.


	2. Chapter 2

He spotted them too late.

Doffy was standing over the form of his brother -notsuppostedtobepossibleHOWISHEINTHEPAST?!ithastobeadream!- Corazon.. his blonde savior having shot those bullets into him already. Those bullets that would kill him.

When he saw them, Law had felt the air as it left his lungs involuntarily and he suddenly couldn't move. Then he snapped himself back into reality when Doffy ordered them to leave.

Impulsively and desperately, Law raised his hand quickly and summoned a room. Switching places with the too still dying form of Corazon- pleasepleasedontlethimdieyet- drawing Kikoku and launching at the turned back of Doflamingo.

He heard one of the crewmates of Doflamingo's crew call out a warning, and that was the only reason the pink bastard didn't lose his head.

Law's ears were ringing loudly in his anger, so loud he barely comprehended the words that came out of Doflamingo's mouth. "Oh, who are you?"

He grit his teeth and stayed silent, a thousand curses on the tip of his tongue ready to be thrown back at him. However, his eyes glanced over to where Corazon was laying out of sight.. dying.. and he made a quick decision.

Summoning a room, he quickly fluctuated it over the entire island, just under the birdcage, only lasting for just a moment as he dodged the attack Doflamingo and Virgo sent his way at the action and grabbed the chest he knew his younger self was locked it, swapping places with a broken twig laying beside Corazon in the disturbed snow. He then grabbed the bleeding man and teleported them on the other side of the island. Swapping places with a boulder.

As soon as his feet touched the shore he cancelled the room he had kept open for only a moment. He located one of the caves he knew where on the island and after some adjusting teleported them into it.

They'd have to hide there for now.

He looked back to Corazon and finally focused on the gasping breaths the man was taking and the precious lifeblood that soaked him.

At least he was alive, and now that he was here he could save him.

It took him longer than it should have for him to spur into action and move. He had been just staring at Cora-san for a long while before he raised a hand and finally cast his room. Getting to work.

His hands shook as he patched up the man who had died for him before. He was desperate to make sure he lived. Even if it was a dream… a very lucid dream.. he wanted to save him.

Once he had finished, Cora-san's heart now beating steady and the bullet holes sewed up from thread he had taken from his shredded clothes and the internal damage just just a healed scar, he had just sat back and stared at the wounds- his chest, just watching him breathe- for a long minute before dragging his hand down his face, unwittingly smearing Cora-san's blood where he touched.

He looked up to the unconscious blonde's face and took in the features he had spent so long trying to not forget.

He was pulled from his own head when the chest beside him tipped over. Oh right.. his...little self.

He reached over silently and flicked the lock open, letting the- a sight he still didn't believe- weaker, smaller, younger, sicker version of himself tumble out. His little version's face was covered in tears he remembered crying in his own past, and the first thing out of the little him's mouth was the shaking and pitiful cry of Cora-san's name.

He sighed and leaned back against the cave wall as he was all but ignored. Law watched as the younger of the two of them clung to Corasan's side, shaking him and calling his name. He watched as the younger sagged, crying, against the blonde's side when a tiny hand came up and found a heartbeat against the scarred throat and little eyes scanned over the sewed up bullet holes.

He closed his eyes for a moment and just listened to his younger self's muffled sobs of relief.

"W-who are you?"

He opened his eyes at the young voice and dully stared at the boy. "Later. Aren't you dying?"

The younger looked startled but was also still crying, so it was a weird mixture, and didn't reply turning away and curling back up against the blonde.

That was fine. Law wanted silence at the moment anyway.

He had a lot to think about.

At some point, he didn't realize he had fallen asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

"Who is…"

"Tell me ... happened.."

"...healed you…"

"Impossible"

"...don't… leave me…"

"...sorry…"

"...think he's safe…helped you..."

"..Cora-san.."

It was to the sound of muffled voices that he awoke. He scowled for a moment before shooting up, eyes searching and immediately snapping to the eyes that were staring at him.

Cora-san's eyes.

He just stared for a long while. Realizations, acceptance, relief, and some sort of acknowledged pain going through his head and stealing his voice.

In the end it was Corasan who actually spoke first. "Law told me what happened. Thank you, for saving us."

The said older version of Law dumly nodded before shaking his head as if clearing it. "How are you feeling?"

Corasan smiled at him and his hand came up to cover the stitches of the bullet holes. "It doesn't hurt as much as it should; I feel fine."

Law nodded and glanced down to his little self in the blonde's lap. Not missing the subtle tensing of Corasan's hand around the little body as Law took in the weird sight of his little self buried in Corasan's stomach. It was strange, but Law didn't blame the younger. He knew he'd be doing the same. "I'm sorry to be so suspicious but.." the blonde's voice drew his eyes back up to the older occupant across from him, "why did you help us?"

Law swallowed hard and considered his answer carefully. He had accepted he was here.. in the past now… and he had already changed it.. as hard and as crazy as it was.. he was here. He didn't know how long he'd be here or if he'd even get back.. ever. Although, looked across from him and seeing the alive, living, breathing Corasan.. he is thankful for whatever happened.. and he can't find it in himself to regret it. "Because you needed help."

Corasan's eyes narrowed in a justified suspicion and Law felt his jaw snap closed at the look. It just felt.. wrong.. for that look to be directed at.. him.. "So you were just wandering by and saw one of the most dangerous pirates out there killing a man and just decided to help?"

Law again considered his answer carefully before taking the route he had been considering since he accepted the situation. "My name's Lock… I've.. been in a similar situation.." he looked down to the smaller version of himself involuntarily, and gestured to the child to make something of the act. "Didn't want to see it happen again."

Corasan was quiet, considering and Law found himself tense for whatever the reply may be. "Well… for whatever reason I'm grateful."

Law nodded and glanced back down to his smaller self when he saw the mass of cloth shook. Corasan noticed too and shifted the smaller Law, pushing him far enough away to get a look at him. Law.. Lock watched Corasan's eyes grow alarmed and panicked. "Law! Your sickness.. why isn't it gone?!" Almost immediately he snapped his head up to look at 'Lock' wariness on his face. 'Lock' wondered if Corasan was worrying about his reaction.

The now named Lock swallowed, this was.. going to take some careful manipulation. He remembered the 'why' as to how he wasn't healed. Waking up in the snow after creating a shaky room and cutting the poison out himself, were painful memories he couldn't forget. "I'm a doctor.. I have a devil fruit that helps me heal people. I can help."

Cora-san looked apprehensive, but Lock could see his younger self peeking his eyes from under the hat.

Cora-san shook his head to refuse, only for little Law to be the one to speak. "You want to help me?"

"Lock" looked at his younger self and nodded. He didn't exactly have a choice now did he. After all of his younger self died it was probably likely that he would too.

Law's face turned suspicious and angry. "It's Amber Lead Poisoning."

Lock nodded, only realizing his mistake too late at their surprised eyed looks. "I.. saw the spots earlier, but it's poisoning. The ones who think it's contagious are idiots."

Cora-san was still frozen in place while his younger self turned around in Cora-san's lap to face him before holding out his unnaturally white colored hand, ignoring the protest of the blonde behind him. "If you wanna try and heal me then go ahead, I doubt you will be able to fix it though."

Cora-san seemed to slump at those words and Lock had to look away from the suddenly so downtrodden face that overtook the blonde. Instead choosing to address his younger self smirking as he did so, "You'd be surprised at what I can do."

The child snorted and Lock deemed to ignore it. He could likely guess what was going through his younger self's mind in this situation and knew that words would do nothing.

He summoned a room over the outstretched hand easily enough- trying to ignore the hard flinch and movement Cora-san made to pull Law closer to him away from the 'danger'- and after muting the pain receptors started pulling the poison from the child's pores. It was… a lot less messy, gory, and terrifying than the first time he painfully withdrew the poison from his own body.

This time it wouldn't hurt at least.

The poison came out like a white liquid and collected at the underside of the dome shaped room. Very little blood flowing out.

Once he was done the child's hand was clear of white splotches and Lock leaned back against the cave -almost sagging- and slid the room off of the hand, motioning with his outstretched fingers for the room with the poison to go flying to the edge of the cave where it broke and landed in the snow, almost instantly melting the white substance it landed on.

He looked back at the other two to be taken aback when both of them were staring at him with wide eyes-and gaping in Cora-san's case. "What?" They were silent and it took Law too long to realize why. He has had his devil fruit so long he's stopped seeing people surprised by it. "I told you, it's a devil fruit."

Cora-san snapped his mouth closed and adopted a confused look. "I've only heard of one devil fruit that could do something like that and it's been eaten by someone else already."

Lock unintentionally glanced down at his younger self and hoped Cora-san would just write it off as him checking on the kid. "Not all devil fruits have been discovered… I'm not even sure of the name of mine.. or its extent in abilities." He lied, but it was necessary. It was a long shot but if he could make Cora-san believe the fruit was a different but similar one to that of the Ope-Ope no mi, then it would be better for him in the long run.

By some stroke of luck the other man relented with a nod and looked down to the child in his lap. Little Law was staring at his now healed hand with wide eyes and Lock had to force himself to look away. He knew - he so badly knew - what was going through the smaller version of himself's head. It tightened something inside his chest because this was a branching point from the future he knew and what future this version of Law would know.. and he didn't want to acknowledge that. Not yet. He couldn't do it yet. He wasn't allowed to break just yet. He had things he had to do that were far more urgent than his own petty breakdown.

He forced himself to focus missing the furrowed brow of the tall blonde across from him and extended his hand again. Summoning another room that covered the extent of Law's body.

He had a job to do.

He could cry. He could scream. He could process fully the events that had just transpired when Corasan and his younger self were healed and safe far far away from here.

Until then… he wasn't allowed break.

—-xXx—-

The now named Lock gazed at the sleeping form of his now healed child self and his blonde savior. His gaze was still and steady as he ignored his internal struggle.

He shifted his gaze to the snowfall outside their little shelter and scowled. It had been a full day since he woke up on this island in his past. Corasan and Law had decided to sleep to regain some of their lost energy while Lock took watch when night fell.

Lock wasn't regretting such a decision as he was currently monitoring the members of Doflamingo's crew. They had spread across the island to search for the three of them, but none of them had found any trace. Lock had made sure.

Doflamingo didn't have as strong of a haki ability as he had in the future and none of the other members had the ability this far in the past. This Lock was thankful for, as it meant they could stay hidden for now.

Though they'd have to leave before Doflamingo's crew incase the captain of said crew decided to still kill everyone with the birdcage.

Easier said than done.

He knew from his memories that there were boats on the opposite side of the island than where the El Flamenco was docked - the side Lock had transported them to when he stopped Doflamingo from killing Cora-san.

For now… he'd let the two beside him rest. They'd probably need it.


	4. Chapter 4

Lock scowled as he stood at the mouth of the cave. Ignoring the pang in his chest as the other two conversed in whispers behind him.

After they had woken up he had demanded that they move. They both agreed as neither of them really had a desire to stay on the island or close to Doflamingo.

What they hadn't agreed on was leaving with Lock.

He knew that from a logical standpoint- theirs specifically- it'd make sense to be so distrustful as his story didn't exactly add up.

It didn't stop the pain in his chest from appearing.

Nevertheless. He'd endure it. If this meant Corasan lived then so be it. Besides, he didn't even know himself if he'd be in the past much longer or if he'd fade or go back to his own version of the future.. there were too many possibilities to consider at the moment that he didn't have time for. For now, he'd base his actions according to what he was experiencing currently, he'd change his plans when the situation changed.

He heard footsteps behind him and glanced over his shoulder at the tall, crouched form of the bandaged Cora-san approaching, Law in his arms. He had wary look on his face. "We think it's best if the three of us left together. That is if you still want to."

Lock looked at him with - unknowingly - dull eyes and nodded. He turned to leave the cave only to be pulled back by a large hand on his arm. He looked back to see Corasan holding his feathered coat out to him. "Take it. Your clothes are shredded and it's freezing."

Lock stared at the coat for a long moment before looking back at the blonde painted face. "It's fine the two of you need it more. Your both still recovering." He tried to remove his arm from the blonde's grip but Cora-san wasn't relenting.

A look of annoyance overtook the blonde's face while Law watched silently from Corasan's other arm. "And what about you? You've been shaking from the cold since we woke up. You're clothes aren't even remotely useful for this weather. You'll catch something going out there like that."

Lock knew he had a point but he also knew that Corasan needed the warmth more than him. He shook his head. "If I get sick, I'll just remove it from my system. Your wounds shouldn't be exposed to the cold and m-the kids immune system is almost defenseless right now. Any way you look at it the cold would harm the two of your worse than me."

Corasan didn't look happy about that but didn't call him out on his bullshit. Afterall, DonQuixote Rosinante wasn't a doctor. Law, however, furrowed his eyebrows at Lock and looked away when the older raised an eyebrow in challenge in his direction. Well.. Lock guessed he could be glad he had been an uncaring little shit at that age to anyone besides Corasan.

He looked back up at the blonde and helped him fasten the coat around the tall man. "Now, lets go before the crew that's after the two of you just happens to stumble on us."

He turned away, avoiding looking at either of them as he walked out of the cave. Wrapping his arms tightly around him and pushing through the snow to where he remembered the docks where on this island.

He listened for the heavy footsteps of the blonde behind him and held back a sigh of relief when he heard them.

He couldn't help himself but glance up at the man when Cora-san came up beside him due to his long strides.

He knew that Cora-san was almost as tall as Doflamingo- he himself only reached Cora-san's elbow- but to truly see it outside of the skewed view of a child was.. captivating. Not because the man was tall but because it was Cora-san.

He forced himself to look away, and not focus on the fact that he was walking alongside his savior again (shouldntbepossiblehowpleaseletthisbereal) and focused on the way to the docks.

They walked in silence and Lock found himself mainly focusing on pushing away the feeling of the cold, his numb hands tucked underneath his upper arms, his feet were numb halfway up his calves from walking in the wet snow, and his numb cheeks, ears, nose and lips he knew would probably be chapped if not cracked by the time they got to a warmer climate.

That wasn't including the places where bare skin touched the open air through the tears in his clothes.

He didn't notice how the blonde beside him kept glancing his way, worried. He felt a muscle in his leg tense up as he took another step and he paused, knowing what that symptom could possibly mean considering his skin was starting to feel warm instead of cold.

He heard Cora-san's footsteps pause and the man turn to him. Despite that, he didn't let the man speak and instead pushed himself to start running to the port. He couldn't stop now. He couldn't let himself try and curl up like he wanted to for warmth because he was the only one who could get them outside the birdcage.

"Lock!" He heard Corasan yell behind him but he ignored it. They needed to get to the docks and they needed to do it now.

Finally the docks came into view and he let out a shaky breath in relief. Quickly scanning the small boats with his eyes, looking for a suitable one to get them out.

There. On the end.

He quickly picked up a few rocks from the shore and tossed them in the boat before flicking another one through the string bars of the birdcage sending it sailing across the water. As soon as it was far enough he used Shambles to swap the pebble's position with the boat just as Corasan's heavy footfalls caught up to him. "Lock what are you doing?"

He swallowed hard, trying to get his voice audible as he looked at the taller male. Taking in the form that he can believe existed once again. Cora-san had wrapped his feathered coat tightly around him and Law, who was held tightly against Cora-san's chest under the coat. "Getting us out."

Cora-san looked confused but Law didn't give him a chance to ask or do anything else as he grabbed the man's hand and swapped their positions in space with the rocks in the boat.

They fell onto the wood with a hard thump and Lock found himself leaning heavily against the side of the wood as he shivered. Finally allowing himself to curl into a tight ball for some semblance of warmth across from the disoriented blonde.

He closed his eyes and tucked his face into his bent knees as he listened to his own teeth chatter and his gasping breath.

He missed Cora-san gaining his bearings and pulling out a dial from his pocket to attach to the end of the boat. He barely felt when the boat started rocketing away from the island. The island that had taken his world away from him. The island that he changed everything on.

He missed when his younger self crawled over to him and touched his skin then the neck over his pulse point. He missed the two of them conversing with one another. He missed how the two of them made his body lay down on the bottom of the boat despite his curled up position, and he missed how Cora-san draped his own shirt and feathered coat over him.

He missed everything.

The last thought he had before he blacked out was that he hoped when he woke, if he did, he'd still be in this universe where Cora-san was alive and his world hadn't ended.


End file.
